


Glass Walls

by Sonia



Category: White Collar
Genre: Established Relationship, Multi, Other, Romance, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-01-28
Updated: 2011-01-28
Packaged: 2017-10-15 04:37:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/157100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sonia/pseuds/Sonia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hughes is educated into a new reality.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Glass Walls

Title: Glass Walls  
Author: Sonia  
Rating: PG  
Fandom: White Collar  
Spoilers: Series up until Burke’s Seven  
Warnings/Enticements/Triggers: None  
Word Count: ~4000

Summary: Hughes is educated into a new reality.

This was inspired originally by the first sighting of Neal looking out the window in Mozzie's hospital room. Then Elrhiarhodan and her Prompfest sprinkled her magic all over it and, as with all things, made it better.

Let me know what you think.

 

From Hughes’ POV. I love that man.

 

Glass Walls  
By  
Sonia

 

Once again, Burke, one of my best people, has become mixed up in all sorts of shenanigans with his parolee, Neal Caffrey.

Caffrey had finally found the man he thought was responsible for his girlfriend’s death. He was ready to shoot him, the gun was in hand. Fowler was a dead man standing.

From what the other agents reported to me, Burke talked him out of it. You really have to know someone very well to talk him or her down from that kind of rage. If I found the man who had done something like that to my Helen…let’s just say, I don’t think anything would have stopped me from killing him. Yes, I know Burke is leaving out some of the facts. It’s probably best for everyone involved, including me, that I am kept in the dark, at least for the moment.

One thing I do know for sure, Burke is a good agent and a good man. I trust him. What I don’t trust is Caffrey and his influence on him.

I’ve witnessed the change in their relationship over the last several months and I think Burke has gotten a little too close to Caffrey. He’s a handsome charming man and the con artist in him runs deep. I wouldn’t put a little seduction past Caffrey to get what he wants. Yes, Burke is married to a beautiful woman but men are not always ruled by their brains or their well intentioned hearts. Even though Burke is smart and appears to have a good marriage, Caffrey is good at what he does. Hell, I’ve even seen him try and put the moves on with Berrigan. There is a palpable energy when Caffrey and Burke are in a room together, and, as far as I’m concerned, no good can come of it.

The saving grace for both men may just be Elizabeth Burke. She’s not just good to look at, she’s one smart cookie. She is not the type to suffer in silence. If Burke was dumb enough to screw around on her, and she figured it out, he’d be walking with a limp and looking for another place to live. And if Caffrey is as smart as he seems, he won’t mess with that lady.

When I received the news that a friend of Caffrey’s had been shot, I was concerned. He doesn’t need any more chaos in his life. When I found out it was the funny little con man that I’ve never been properly introduced to, I was downright worried. I knew Burke had become friends with him too. This incident was going to hit both of them hard. I had hoped Burke could still keep Caffrey in check, for everyone’s sake.

That hope was quickly dashed when Burke stopped by my office to brief me.

He was clearly deeply shaken. What concerned me most was the fact that he mentioned Caffrey at least fifteen times in our eight-minute briefing. And he called Caffrey “Neal” every time.

 

I always thought it was unprofessional for Caffrey to call his supervisory agent by his given name. Call me old fashioned but there is a reason, agents use surnames with each other. It creates a distance, a boundary between professional relationships and personal ones.

It was now clear that these two don’t have professional boundaries.

Burke is a passionate guy with deep feelings and I was really concerned where all that passion was being focused.

 

Burke was at the hospital over the next few days, basically sitting vigil with Caffrey over their friend. At first, it didn’t look good for him from what I was hearing but he was holding his own.

I took a cab uptown to the hospital to visit the mysterious patient that had drawn so much interest from my agents and the bad guys. I thought the informal setting of the hospital might give me a better idea just how close they had gotten.

It took forever to find the right floor, wing and then section of the enormous hospital but I finally found the ICU where “Ivan Bliminse” was in a coma. How did I know the name was a phony? You don’t work in Moscow for nine years while the KGB look over your shoulder and not know an anagram when you see one. Invisible Man indeed.

I went through what seemed like the hundredth set of double doors and entered a stereotypical waiting area. Painted brightly with beige, yellow and sea foam green, I, once again, found myself wondering if hospitals really thought they could jolly you out of your worry and fear with these “happy” colors.

I looked straight ahead and immediately saw Caffrey slumped in a chair, dressed in a white shirt, black vest and pants which were beautifully tailored but very rumpled. He wasn’t asleep but from the circles under his eyes and the bedraggled expression on his face, it looked like he desperately needed some. In the bed next to him was his friend, lying unnaturally still with tubes everywhere. It was the type of still you only achieve when you’re unconscious. I started forward towards the room, when out of the corner of my eye, I saw Burke coming in through another set of doors. He wasn’t dressed for work, wearing beige khakis and a blue polo shirt. He didn’t look as grubby as Caffrey, but, he was definitely careworn. He was carrying a tray full of snacks. Since the patient wasn’t awake, I assumed they were for him and Caffrey. Burke didn’t see me at all; he was too focused on Caffrey. When he got to the room, he put the tray down on the nightstand. I watched as he offered Caffrey various items, all of which were rejected.

Then, like a flash of lightning, Caffrey grabbed something off the tray and hurdled it at one of the walls. One of few non-glass walls in the room, thankfully. Burke stepped forward towards Caffrey, who was red with high emotion.

“Go away, Peter! Go away! Get out of here while you can!”

Burke replied in a firm voice, “You know, I won’t do that. I’ll always be here.”

I watched as Caffrey stormed about the room blindly, knocking over the chair he had been sitting in.

Burke raised his hand in a calming gesture, “Neal, it’s going to be OK.”

Caffrey turned on him and shouted, “Kate died because of me! Now Mozzie!  
It’s my fault, don’t you see?”

“All of this really sucks, Neal, but we can get through this.”

Burke slowly advancing toward Caffrey but he didn’t seem to notice the agent’s movements. The ex-con responded heatedly, “Don’t you get it?! I can’t do this anymore. If something happened to you or Elizabeth, I would… They’re after me and they won’t stop. You have to take care of yourself and her. Please just walk away from me while you still can.”

Burke stated forcefully, “We are in this together, Neal. You know how I feel. I’m here for you. Period.”

Then he moved in to corral the younger man, who tried to push him away.

Looping his arms around Caffrey, who was still struggling, I could tell Burke was talking to him, but, it was so soft, I couldn’t make out what he was saying.

Whatever he said, it worked.

Caffrey stopped struggling and collapsed into Burke’s arms.

I was out in the open in the larger waiting area, in plain sight, but I felt as if I was watching an intimate domestic scene between two people I really shouldn’t be seeing.

Burke rocked Caffrey gently, turning him round and round, like I used to, years ago, to quiet one of the kids when they were crying.

Then Burke separated from the younger man a little, wiping his tears away.

When Burke leaned forward towards Caffrey, I could have sworn he was moving in to kiss him.

I was thunderstruck when he did just that. Firmly, with purpose, and absolutely no hesitation.

 

From Caffrey’s keen response, this was apparently not the first time this had happened.

Leaning heavily on his shoulder, Caffrey clung to Burke, who stroked his hair and kissed his temple.

Thinking about the possibility of something going on between them and witnessing it with my own two eyes are two very different things.

Needing to process these events before saying anything to Burke, I was about to make my way back towards the double doors when Burke picked his head up and finally saw me through the glass wall of the ICU unit.

The first dozen or so emotions that ran across his face all contained an element of fear. The last one I saw, pure determination, was something I’d come to associate with Burke. He squared his shoulders a little, and looked me straight in the eye.

I motioned for him to meet me outside in the hallway.

When I stepped out into the corridor, the relief I felt at leaving the scene was short lived.

Elizabeth Burke was headed straight towards me.

The phrase bad timing didn’t even begin to cover this disaster in the making.

Thinking quickly, I shorten the distance between us and cut her off.

As always she is a wonderful sight to behold. She wears Cashmere Mist perfume, like Helen does, and it compliments her perfectly.

She gave me a sweet smile as a greeting and said, “Hello, Reese. This is a nice surprise.”

My thought at that moment was Burke is a fool to cheat on her.

“Elizabeth, how are you?”

Her lovely eyes dimmed a fraction as she answered, “This is the type of thing that’s always at the back of my mind, you know? The doctors sound hopeful but….”

I was trying to stall her just a little bit longer. I couldn’t let this lovely woman find out about Caffrey and her husband this way.

So, I asked her a question.

“Maybe you can clarify something for me, Elizabeth. Exactly who is this man? I know he’s Caffrey’s friend so he’s probably not quite the upstanding citizen. And, I know Peter knows him through Caffrey but, who is he?”

I could see her trying to think of an answer, when the door behind me opened. Burke walked passed me to greet his wife with a peck on the cheek. Touching her shoulder lightly, he said softly with a smile, “Hi honey. I’m glad you’re here.”

Clearly not liking what she saw, she asked, “What’s wrong?”

Burke’s voice was low and sad when he replied, “He needs you.”

Without another word, Elizabeth hurried through the doors and makes a beeline for the ICU unit.

I turned towards Burke and said, “We have to have a nice long talk, Peter.”

Burke sighed, “Yeah, I suppose we do.”

“Cheating on your wife with your parolee is beyond stupid. I can’t believe….”

Burke said tightly, “Hughes, I think you should have all the facts before....”

Gob smacked, I whispered, “I saw you kiss Caffrey.”

I was confused when Burke looks through the small window on the door behind us. He opened the door and gestured for me to come closer.

Looking across the waiting area, into the ICU unit, I could see Elizabeth Burke and Caffrey clearly. Standing by the big picture window at the back of the room, they stood close together, hugging, her arms around him, holding him like he’d just come back from the war.

I saw the look on Caffrey’s face as he held the other man’s wife in his arms.

There was no mistaking it.

Pure love, pure need.

Letting the door close, I turned to Burke and muttered with exasperation,

“Peter, what the fuck is going on here?”

Burke grinned slightly and replied, “I don’t think I’ve ever heard you swear, Hughes.”

Feeling really tired all of a sudden, I answered, “If we are going to have the type of conversation, I think we’re going to have, you better call me Reese.”

The agent opened another door to his left and ushered me through it. Burke turned on the light and I realized it was a smaller waiting area with a couple couches and a table.

He shut the door and threw the lock.

With resignation he said, “This is the place the doctors take you when they have bad news.”

I sat down on the couch furthest from the door. Burke, however, remained standing.

I saw him struggling on where to begin, so for pity’s sake, I let him off the hook.

“Please feel free not to give me any intimate details, but I’m guessing the three of you are …together?”

Pacing and running his hands thru his hair, Burke huffed out, “Reese, I know it’s dangerous and crazy and breaks all the rules but….”

I could feel a wave of anger wash over me. Rising to my feet, because, I had to move, I said loudly, “Agent Burke, do you have any idea what a mess you’ve made of this situation? Technically, I should put an end to all of this, your career and his parole, right now.”

Burke froze in place and stared at me with wide open, injured eyes.

“I didn’t say I would but I could. What if it had been somebody else walking in here instead of me? You’ve dropped me into the deep end of the pool with my hands tied.”

Looking defeated, his shoulders sagged. “I know, Reese. I’m sorry about this. I really am. Before his friend got hurt, we were really careful. We all tried to be rational and not get involved but…”

Seeing the angst on Burke’s face deflated my anger, but, not by much.

I answered, “I understand that part, Peter, but, you’ve put all of us in a really precarious position. I knew you two were close and Caffrey is a charmer but, you can’t forget how he made a living. He’s drawn you and your wife into this…”

Burke interrupted me. He had the determined look again.

“I know you don’t want details, Reese, but, I have to tell you this much. This isn’t about a roll in the hay. We fought these feelings for a long time. We talked about it and thought it through. It’s not just a sexual thing. The three of us have a real relationship. We really love each other.”

Not wanting to think about what that all meant, I asked, “I thought you and Elizabeth were happy together? When did all this start? I thought he was in love with the girl that died?”

Burke sighed heavily.

“We were happy and we still are. After Kate died, he just…he needed us. It’s hard to explain but Elizabeth and I are more complete now more than ever. Our relationship just…evolved. He’s an extraordinary man, Reese.”

The look in Burke’s eyes showed a level of besottment I know all too well. It’s probably the way I looked at Helen on our wedding day.

I hated having to say what I said next it, but, I needed to say it, for my own sake.

“Peter, have you considered that he could be playing you? You’re the key to his freedom and he could be running a game on you, both of you, to get what he wants.”

He started shaking his head before I finished my thought.

“Elizabeth sees right through him. She knew how he felt about us long before I did.”

I pressed the issue, “You’ve already compromised your professional judgment because of your feelings, Peter. I’m not sure I can let this go.”

He insisted, “I’ve only backed him when it was the right thing to do. He knows where I stand. If it comes to it, if he breaks the law and I find out about it, I will turn him in and he knows it.”

“That must make for some interesting dinner conversations”, I offered.

Burke smirked, “You have no idea.”

I needed to see something for myself.

“I want to speak to him for a minute before I leave.”

Burke straightened with surprise but moved towards the door quickly. I followed him back to the ICU unit. I found myself looking at Caffrey and Burke’s wife with new eyes. The level of intimacy I saw was actually rather sweet. She was sitting down in the chair that had been overturned earlier with Caffrey sitting besides her, one of her hands on the ex-con’s knee and the other one was on the bed holding the hand of the patient.

When they saw us moving towards them, Caffrey got up out of the chair smoothly and came over to the door of the unit. He planted himself in front of the doorway, almost in a protective way. I’m not sure which person he thought needed protection from me but it was nice to see he could man up like that.

He said, “Agent Hughes, nice of you to drop by.” For once, there wasn’t a smile or even a grin of his ridiculously handsome face.

“Hello, Mr. Caffrey, nice to see you not in handcuffs, for once.” I noticed he was looking passed me; I turned quickly to see a very odd look on Burke’s face.

The ex con snorted a little, backed up to let me in the room. I took in the patient’s condition briefly, noting all the monitors and tubes. Everybody looks frail and helpless in a hospital bed and, criminal or not, he was no exception.

Turning to him, I asked Caffrey, “How is Mr. Bliminise doing?”

He guffawed a little and shook his head.

“You know and I know his name isn’t “Ivan Bliminse”, so please, just call him Mozzie.”

“Mozzie?”

Elizabeth Burke looked stunned, “Um Neal, maybe you shouldn’t…”

Looking slightly aggrieved, Caffrey stated sadly, “At this point, Elizabeth, I just want to see the look on his face when I tell him a FBI director came to see him…”

Elizabeth laid her hand on Caffrey’s shoulder and rubbed it gently.

“He’s going to pull through, Neal”, she said in a comforting tone.

The genuine emotion from Caffrey moved me. I may not trust him but I didn’t doubt his affection for his friend.

“I hope he makes full and speedy recovery, Mr. Caffrey. I really do.”

Caffrey looked truly surprised by my statement and didn’t respond, so Elizabeth did.

“Thank you, Reese. That’s very kind.”

Shaking his head a little, Caffrey finally said, “Yes, thank you.”

Burke stepped closer to his two…lovers and said, “El, Neal, you should know. Director Hughes knows about us.” Looking at Caffrey, he stated, “Neal, he saw us together a little while ago. I told him everything else.”

Elizabeth gasped a little and blushed deeply. Then, slowly, she took her hand off Neal’s shoulder. Caffrey stepped away from her and towards me.

His big blue eyes, which are weapons of mass destruction in my opinion, opened up wide.

“Hughes, please don’t take it this out on Peter. I’m…”

Burke started to cut him off when it occurred to me, a comatose man was lying three feet away from the four of us.

“This is hardly the appropriate setting for this conversation.” The Burkes and Caffrey quieted as they all peeked over at “Mozzie”.

“Mr. Caffrey, may I speak to you for a moment outside?”

The three of them exchanged looks of various levels of concern as Caffrey moved out of the room. I don’t know what they thought I was going to do, but it was good to know I still have the presence and the power to scare the shit out of people.

As Burke and his wife stood together quietly, I lead Caffrey to the room where Burke and I had talked a few minutes before.

I walked him into the little waiting area, turned on the light, locked the door and put my coat on one of the couches. I knew my stalling was killing Caffrey but I wanted my next words to be the right ones.

When I looked directly at him, I got a glimpse of something I had never seen from him before.

Real fear.

Right then, I knew what I had to do.

I could see the mask fall back into place and he started to say something, when I raised a hand and cut him off.

“Caffrey, I’m not going to threaten you with prison or with suspending Peter or any of those things.”

He literally took a step back. He frowned and asked, “Why not?”

“Because you’ve been there and done that. Those things are about loss of liberty and loss of control and in some ways, power. Those issues can be worked around and those are things you can fix, in your own way.”

Caffrey put his hands on his hips and shrugged. “Then what is this about?”

“This is about the Burkes. They have let you into their lives and, apparently their bed.”

Caffrey had the good grace to squirm as I continued.

“I just want to know if you can even begin to understand what you’ve done here. My wife and I have been married for longer than you’ve been alive. I can’t imagine seeing someone else look at her the way you look at Elizabeth Burke. Or the way you look at Peter for that matter.”

Caffrey sighed, “You think I’m running a con on them. Hughes, I’m a selfish bastard, we all know that, but what I have with them is real.”

“To commit the crimes you’ve been accused of, yes, Caffrey, you would have to be a selfish bastard. Now it’s time to grow up. If you care about them, really care about them like I think you do, make the first real sacrifice of your life. Walk away from them. This arrangement isn’t sustainable and isn’t good for anyone involved and I think you know that.”

Looking at me with a forlorn expression, Caffrey said softly, “I can’t do that, Hughes. I need them and they need me. Have you decided what you’re going to do?”

I said, “As long as Peter reminds as efficient and competent at his job as before, nothing. One misstep and…” I knew I didn’t have to finish that sentence.

“Then what’s the catch?”

“Not everything has a clear outcome. You’ve always done everything you could to avoid the consequences of your actions. I’m just curious who will be around to pick up the pieces when all this goes to hell.”

“What do you mean?” Caffrey queried.

“Earlier you were trying to get Peter to walk away from your relationship because of the danger to himself and his wife. Danger doesn’t always come in a bullet or a bomb. A broken marriage can kill your soul just as surely as the death of your partner.”

The drain of color from Caffrey’s face was so complete, it almost had me worried for a moment.

“I would never let that happen. I know how much Peter loves her.”

Stepping closer to him, I asked bluntly, “Do you love him enough to give him back to her completely?”

His expression shocked the hell out of me. It was Burke’s determined look.

“Yes, I could, but he wouldn’t go.”

I saw the futility of the conversation and started to leave. As I picked up my coat and moved to the door, Caffrey laid his hand on my arm.

“I don’t expect you to trust me, Hughes, but, please, trust Peter.”

I really didn’t have an answer for that. I opened the door and, right outside of it where Burke and his wife, clearly eavesdropping.

“See you tomorrow, Agent Burke. Goodbye, Elizabeth.”

As I walked down the hall, I turned to see Caffrey being folded into two sets of arms.

I remember thinking all three sets of arms were going to be needed to hold them together.


End file.
